“There is no such thing on earth as an uninteresting subject; the only thing that can exist is an uninterested person,” declared the philosopher and wit G. K. Chesterton (1874–1936). The extent and variety of the author’s writings―comprising journalism, history, biography, apologetics, poetry, plays, and detective fiction―attest to his own diversity of enthusiasms. This rich and thought-provoking anthology draws from Chesterton’s vast treasury of publications to present his most trenchant observations on education, humor, literature, religion, politics, class, and other topics.
Editor Bob Blaisdell offers an insightful introduction to Chesterton’s life and works and identifies the source of each quotation. Organized thematically, the quotes range from quips from Chesterton’s Father Brown mysteries (“The most incredible thing about miracles is that they happen.”) and novels (“Marriage is a duel to the death which no man of honour should decline.”) to his newspaper columns (“An adventure is only an inconvenience rightly considered. An inconvenience is only an adventure wrongly considered.”) and essays (“No man must be superior to the things that are common to men.… Not only are we all in the same boat, but we are all seasick.”).